This weather reminds me of one of my least favorite childhood jobs, raking limbs. Every year when the snow melted Lisa, Jesse and I knew that the winter rest from our orchard labors was over and we'd be back in the orchards starting off the season with one of our least favorite jobs, raking limbs. My dad would hire people to prune the trees and we were the crew that would go behind them and rake all the limbs out to the middle of the row so the tractor could scoop them up into a big pile to burn.
After we walked home from school we would grab a snack and head out to the big old orchard behind our house and begin. Lisa and I hated this job and tried everything we could to get out of it; it was cold, muddy and often times wet. We found all kinds of things left in the orchards from the long winter; dead mice, rotten apples from the prior years harvest, and sometimes even an old dead orchard cat. My least favorite part was getting whipped in the face or arms by the limbs. Now that I look back at it I feel bad that Jesse always had to be our Foreman keeping us motivated and working.....maybe that is why he is such a great dad now, he had lots of practise with me and Lisa. Funny that at the time I dreaded this job and now more then 15 years latter I look back on those times and smile and would love to be out in our orchard with my brother and sister raking limbs.
5 comments:
I loved looking out my window today watching the boys run to the bus and there was no snow on the lawns. I also saw a red wing black bird Monday. I'm so exited because spring is here. Most of all WE DID IT. WE MADE IT THROUGH THE WINTER.
I Andrea,
Cute blog. I hope you don't mind that I leave a comment. You have such a darling family. I loved the blog of the Limbs. I bet you feel so blessed to be raised in a family where you learned to work, I know I was. It has been so fun getting to know you.
love this post. i think its my fav so far. now why didn't you get teh burtons out to help, huh?
what is your policy about kids and work now that you are a parent?
It is one of my biggest worries, How do I teach my kids how to work and the lessons I learned without acres and acres of orchards to work in? Samuel is only six and has a few jobs about the house but nothing that great. The best I can come up with is a big garden that the kids are incharge of pulling the weeds in and taking care of. I've thought about animals but I'm not sure I am the type of person that could take care of animals..... One thing I am certain of the girls should definitely work right along side of the boys!
I can actually smell the rotting apples when I read this post. Thanks for the reminding me of Raking Limbs. I haven't thought about that in a very long time!
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